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Telangana allots Rs 100 cr to tackle coronavirus, Karnataka opens more labs
The decision was announced a day after a 24-year old software engineer from Hyderabad testing positive for coronavirus.
The government in Telangana on Tuesday allocated Rs 100 crore for tackling the fast-spreading coronavirus to create facilities at hospitals and launch large scale campaign to create awareness about the disease.
The decision was announced a day after a 24-year old software engineer from Hyderabad testing positive for coronavirus.
It was taken at a high-level meeting of the group of ministers, including health minister Eetala Rajender, urban development minister KT Rama Rao and panchayat raj minister E Dayakar Rao, with chief secretary Somesh Kumar and other heads of nine departments.
Briefing the media after the meeting, the health minister said dedicated wards will be set up in all government hospitals in the state, exclusively for treatment of affected patients.
More than 3000 beds would be kept ready for admitting patients with symptoms of coronavirus and of which around 300 beds would be for those who test positive for the virus.
He said the health department had deployed 24 pulmonologists to cater to the people under observation at various hospitals. An equal number of serving pulmonologists were also been asked to keep ready.
A large number of retired doctors were also contacted and their willingness was obtained to serve in case of need.
“It is a misconception that coronavirus will take away the life of the affected person. More than 80% of the patients can recover without any treatment. Only 3% of the people succumbed to the disease. Deaths on account of coronavirus are far less compared to other viruses we had seen so far,” the health minister said.
Stating that coronavirus is not air-borne, Rajender said it would only spread through person to person contact. He appealed to all citizens who move in crowds to carry hankerchiefs and use them while sneezing and coughing.
“It is your responsibility to see that the virus does not spread to others from you,” the minister said.
Health officials are confident that the virus would not spread because of the more heat and less humidity this summer. “We will focus on creating awareness for one week to 10 days. People should not be panicked about,” the minister said.
The state government also requested the Union health ministry to send masks for wide use among the people and was assured by Union health minister Harsha Vardhan that the will be sent immediately.
Popular social activist Sunitha Krishnan, who got admitted to Gandhi Hospital with symptoms of coronavirus on Monday after her return from Bangkok, declared that she was tested negative.
Sunitha, who heads anti-trafficking NGO Prajwala, had voluntarily approached government-run Gandhi Hospital and was kept in isolation ward.
“The test results for coronavirus has just come in, it is negative, what a relief,” she tweeted and thanked friends and well-wishers for their prayers and wishes.
In the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, health department officials declared that no case of coronavirus has reported in the state so far.
Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who held a review meeting on Tuesday, directed officials to take all preventive measures and create awareness about coronavirus.
He said officials must ensure isolation wards in district hospitals and that doctors are trained to handle coronavirus with an action plan prepared by experts in the field.
In Karnataka, the minister for health and family welfare B Sriramulu said there is state wide alert for ensuring that there is no panic regarding coronavirus.
Sriramulu said two specialised laboratories have been opened to examine blood samples of people being screened for the virus. “All government and 1690 private hospitals will work to ensure screening,” he said.
The minister also said that 25 people who worked with the infected software engineer from Hyderabad, who also travelled to Bengaluru, have been quarantined through “contact tracing”. All of them are under observation and being screened currently, he said.
He added that more than 40,000 travellers have been screened at the Kempegowda International Airport since January 20 when the scare started.
The district surveillance unit of Karnataka health department has issued a notice to the apartment complex on Sarjapur Road where the techie stayed while he was in Bengaluru.
Karnataka’s medical education minister K Sudhakar also said everyone, who came in contact with the engineer, has been asked to remain in quarantine and to get tested at the first sign of any cough, fever or cold.
